Guru parampara

The Hindu scriptures seem to emphasise this point :that one who wants to aquire spiritual knowledge should take with him a piece of sacrifical fire wood and approach a (guru) who has attained spirituality and the universal spirit. Indeed running into someone who has attained such spirituality and mastery undoubtedly provides the person so gaining access to him the opportunity to listen to his méssage to get mentally engaged and of course to finally inbibe such knowledge as is considered spiritual . Even just being in the company of such Master(guru) can not deny a disciple the fruits that result from rigorous spiritual excercises under a guru .Does not great scriptures (atma bodha) contain the following sloka?

Yalllabhannaparo labho,
Yat sukhannaparam sukham,
Yat janananna param jhanam,
Tat Bahmetyva dharayet .”

Doesn’t the gita by saying , “yam lovdhwa chaparam lobham manyate nadhikam tatah”. or in other words”, If one gains this spiritual knowledge nothing else would be deemed any greater”, confirm it?

Indeed out srutis also seem to empahasise the same point by raising the issue ,”kasminna vijnatam sarvamidam vijnatam bhavti?, (having known which everything else become known?) and then answering it this way: there are two kinds of knowledge Apara and Para-vidya . the so called Apara knowledge comprises knowledge of the four Vedas and their interpretations,(knowledge from material prosperity), while the Para knowledge gives us the key to the understanding of the supreme Brahman which is of lasting consequence.

The foundation of any religious excersise and life comprises of three things. Reverence (sraddha),devotion (bhakti), and rennunciation (viaragya). If a man propensities that are spiritual in nature spontaneously develops the spirit of indifference. Which would in due course be guided by sradha and bhakti he would naturally move to wards the ultimate sacrifice of the self and renunciation(vairagya).And as this happens God himself would appear as guru and allow his devotee to sit on his lap so to say to show the path that would lead his devotee to his ultimate destiny that is essentially and transcendentally spiritual in nature.

So it is said ,
Gurun bina koopi n muktidata
Gurun bina koopi n margaganta
Gurun bina koopi n jady jady harta
Gurun bina koopi n saukhaya karata

“who can liberate other than guru,
Who can show the spiritual path other than guru,
None has the power to romove ignorance other than guru,

That guru, the preceptor of us, the saviour of us ;at feet of whom we have taken shelter, may be kind and blissful to us. The most revered supreme gurudev for all of us is he who gave us our understanding of spirituality and God (Brahmadata) and therefore he is our father. He was Great MahaYogi Shri Brahmanand Bramchari.Maharaj. He was the disciple of Nityanandji Maharaj. Not much is known about him. His existence is however indicated by the imprints of his feet on as alabastar marble tablet, which attracts throngs of worshippers, who put flower on it even today.

This supreme gurudev adhered to the standards, celibacy, (Naisthik brahmacharya) order sustained under ‘Anand’set by Joshimath (also known and Jyotirmath).

As is well known that Acharya Shankracharya after setting up four ashram or maths (monasteries) in four corners of India and installing four of his disciples as heads of these maths enjoined them to propagate the ideas inherent to the philosophy of nondualism (Advaita Vedanta) as defined by himself writing the shanker bhasya (commentery) on Brahma-Sutra written by Maharshri Vedvyasa.

He framed some rules for the four maths known as Mathamnaya which are as follows.

At Govardhanmath (puri) in the east, A Brahmachari will receive the mantra, Prajgyanam Brahma ‘and will be known as Prakash, and its sanyasis (monks) are going to be known as van or aranya.
At Shardamath (dwarka) in the west the brahmachari will receive the mantra ‘Tattvamasi’, assuming the name Swarup, and its sanyasis (monks)are going to the known as Tirthas or Ashrams.
At Joshimath (Jyotirmath) in the North near Badrinath ,brahmachari will received the Mantra’ Ayamatma Brahma ‘and will be known as Ananda as referred to before ,and its sanyasis(monks) will be known giri ,parvata or sagara.

Finaly at Srigerimath near setubandha in the south, brahmachari adopt the mantra . ‘Aham brahmasmi’ be known as chaitanya and its monks will be known as saraswati,bharati and puri.
Shri Brahmanandji had many disciples. Shri Balanandji, Shri Keshavanandji, Shri Nityanandji, Shri Prithvanandji and others.. Shri Balananda Brahmachari who was the very first disciple of the Brahmanandji and to whom he had assigned its management now decided to go back to Baidynath dham and appointed his brother disciple (gurubhai)Shri Keshavanandji as the Mahant of the Gangnath Ashram and other gurubhai Nityanandaji and Prithvanandji as his aides in its management.

Shri Keshavanandji was in chair for 13-14 years and departed in 1919-20.Shri Keshavanandji was succeded by Shri Kailashanandji, Shri Kailashanandji was succeded by Shri Ganeshanandji who managed the Ashram for last 40 years. He appointed Shri Pavitrananda Brahmachariji who is the disciple of Shri Mohnananda brahmachariji of Shri Balanand Ashram Deoghar. Shri Ganeshanandji departed in 2008 on Ashwin amavashya (deepawali)and since then Shri Pavitranandaji is the Mahant and Chairman of Shree Gangnath Sansthan Ashram Trust .Under his efficient and able guidance the organization is running smoothly.